Mercedes-Benz E-class E 400 AMG Sport Plus coupe first drive

The E 400 AMG Sport Plus is the flagship version of Mercedes-Benz's revamped Mercedes-Benz E-Class coupé range.

It's designed to appeal to keener drivers, a fact emphasised by it being offered with a solitary choice of engine – a twin-turbocharged 3.0-litre V6 that produces 329bhp and 325lb ft.

Mercedes has not simply dropped a hotter engine in its staid coupé and left it at that, however. The high-performance powerplant is complemented by the addition of a 'Dynamic Handling Package', which adds electronically adjustable dampers and the option of more responsive throttle and transmission calibration.

As the car is based on the Sport model it also features upgraded front brakes, AMG body styling, a twin-exit exhaust system and leather heated seats.

Opting for the AMG Sport Plus further extends that specification with a range of other upgrades including 19-inch alloys, a rear spoiler, sports seats and an AMG steering wheel with red stitching.

Standard kit is comprehensive, as you'd hope given the Mercedes' £46,265 list price, and includes sat-nav, DAB radio, cruise control, automatic wipers and lights, front and rear parking sensors, auto-dimming mirrors, Bluetooth connectivity and a Harman Kardon 14-speaker sound system.

Fast – there's no doubting that. Mercedes claims that the E-class will sprint from 0-62mph in just 5.2sec and reach a limited top speed of 155mph.

What's interesting though is that the nature of the 329bhp 3.0-litre V6 doesn't necessarily correlate with what you might expect. Instead of offering a vast surge of torque from low speed – which is what the figures suggest, stating 325lb ft from 1400-4000rpm – it instead prefers to rev, and rev hard.

Above 4000rpm the V6 really gets into its stride, pushing on eagerly to around the 6400rpm mark. It sounds good too, emitting a refined but purposeful growl when the throttle's pinned, but its delivery feels at odds with the E-class's substantial nature.

Mercedes' seven-speed automatic gearbox does a serviceable job around town but when pressing on, or when prompted via the wheel-mounted paddles for a quick change, it can pause for an uncomfortable duration while it decides what it wants to do next.

This, coupled with the engine's seeming lack of outright low-down torque, means rapid acceleration often requires a committed and lengthy application of throttle. Consequently overtakes may require a little more consideration than they would in something with a V8 or a dual-clutch transmission.

Enthusiasts may further be frustrated to find the Mercedes' stability systems to be overly intrusive. Accelerate sharply out of a junction, or happen to put one driven wheel onto a slick surface while accelerating, and – besides an annoying audible warning – the E 400's power is cut aggressively, resulting in an unpleasant jolt through the car.

While it's understandable that the manufacturer would prefer people kept on the straight and narrow, instead of pirouetting across the road, others manage to stabilise their cars without such pronounced and aggressive intrusion.